Trauma Bites Twice

Trauma bites twice.

The first time is when we suffer what others or the world through them inflicts upon us.

The second time is when we suffer what we force ourselves to endure because, having been so shaped and bruised by the unthinkingly callous cruelty and endemic darkness and ignorance of a life we never planned but find ourselves thrown into, we inadvertently seek ways to inflict this sorrow upon ourselves.

In this we are all the same. We define ourselves by memories and those darker moments are far more unforgettable than the bright ones. Unconsciously seeking closure, we compel ourselves towards the things that hurt us. War, fear, suffering – it is all on this spectrum of pain and the only truth worth knowing here is that freedom is never of a self that suffers, it is emancipation from that self.